CFO Summer Playlist 2026: Examining Money and Human Nature Through Music
With July 4th, U.S. Independence Day, approaching, CFO Dive has updated its annual summer playlist, focusing on money and financial themes. The playlist is diverse in style, ranging from celebratory to contemplative, spanning multiple eras and genres. The editor personally favors Bruce Springsteen, while also thanking readers and colleagues for their recommendations, including selections from a Packaging Dive reporter, AICPA experts, and a university professor. The songs touch on heavy themes such as desire, greed, and crime, while also showcasing money as a vehicle for love and care. The full playlist is available on Spotify.
As the Fourth of July approaches, we're once again rolling out a refreshed version of theCFO Summer Playlist, spotlighting notable songs that explore themes of money and finance.
This playlist spans a wide range of styles, from celebratory tunes to somber selections, crossing multiple eras and musical genres, and different listeners may find different resonances. Take me, for example: I'm someone who moved from New Jersey to the Midwest. In my view, "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen must appear on any playlist, and I particularly enjoy the story in "Pay Me My Money Down" about sailors waiting for payday.
At the same time, I've enjoyed discovering songs that are new to me, thanks toreaders and colleagues sharingtheir favorite tracks. Thanks to Katie Pyzyk, lead reporter at our sister publication Packaging Dive, for recommending the satirical earworm "Man in Finance" from TikTok; thanks to Bill Ferguson of the AICPA for recommending "Money for Nothing"; thanks to David Weber, professor of fraud and forensic accounting at West Virginia University, for recommending "Sequestered in Memphis"; and thanks to Robert Pawlewicz, associate professor and department chair of accounting at the University of Richmond, for recommending "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked."
Many heavy themes run through these songs. After all, money is sometimes intertwined with desire, greed, envy, and crime. But money can also be a symbol of celebration, an important way to express love and care. In the lyrics of "To Leave Something Behind," included on the playlist by musician Sean Rowe, he subtly writes: "Money is free, but love costs more than our bread." He mentioned that he hopes his son will understand his intent as a songwriter when he grows up—"I just want to leave something behind."
Happy listening! You canaccess our playlist on Spotify here。
Full playlist (in order)
- Pay Me My Money Down, Bruce Springsteen
- Man in Finance, Megan Boni, David Guetta
- Billionaire, Travie McCoy, Bruno Mars
- Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, Cage the Elephant
- Take the Money and Run, Steve Miller Band
- Piece of Eight, Styx
- Sequestered in Memphis, The Hold Steady
- To Leave Something Behind, Sean Rowe
- Taking Care of Business, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- She Works Hard for the Money, Donna Summer